


Yes, Robin, There is a Santa Claus

by Icalynn



Series: TDKR Kindergarten AU [4]
Category: Batman (Movies - Nolan), Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Kindergarten & Pre-school, Fights, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Santa Claus - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-07
Updated: 2012-12-07
Packaged: 2017-11-20 13:38:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/585952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Icalynn/pseuds/Icalynn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A fight erupts in Mr. Gordon's Kindergarten class over the discussion of Santa Claus.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Yes, Robin, There is a Santa Claus

Jim finished hanging the last of the Christmas decorations just as the bell rang. His students came running in a moment later, their voices full of surprise and laughter brought a smile to his face.

“Mr. Gordon!” Jim looked down as Robin tugged on his pants. 

“Yes?” He smiled as Robin held up a red apple. “Is this for me?”

“Yep!” Robin rocked on his feet, smiling brightly at him as Jim took the offered apple. 

“Thank you.” 

Robin grinned, running over and sitting down beside Bruce. Jim rubbed the apple on his sleeve, shining it up as he put it on his desk. He turned to his students and smiled. “Good morning, class.”

“Good morning, Mr. Gordon.” They replied in a cacophony of voices.

He smiled, leaning against his desk. “Today’s subject is Christmas and the various traditions.” Talia’s hand immediately shot up in the air and he nodded, “Talia?” 

“We don’t celebrate Christmas.” 

“Oh,” Jim paused. “Hanukkah?” She shook her head and he frowned. “Kwanzaa?”

“No,” she shrugged her shoulders like it wasn’t a big deal. 

“I see.”

“But Santa Claus still visits all the children, right?” Robin asked, looking hopeful, his eyes full of innocence and awe. But before Jim could think of a reply, Bane spoke up. 

“There’s no such thing as Santa Claus.” 

Jim tensed, holding his breath as Robin gasped in shock as did Jonathan and Selina. They all looked stricken, their eyes filled with shock and despair. Jim was momentarily stunned; he had always hated this topic and tried to avoid it as much as possible. Over the years, he found that one of the worst things to do to a child was to take their belief of Santa away. It was like stealing a part of their childhood. 

“Take that back!” Bruce demanded as he stood up, glaring at Bane.

“No!” Bane shouted back and before Jim could intercede they were screaming at each other, rolling on the ground as they fought. Bruce kept insisting that there was a Santa Claus and he wanted the other boy to take back his statement, which Bane ultimately refused. 

“Boys,” Jim began, trying to break them up. “This isn’t how we solve disagreements.” He barely managed to grab onto Bruce, but it did little to dissuade them. 

Jim was frustrated and he was about to ask one of the boys to run for help when the Principal walked by for his rounds. Lucius noticed the scuffle and rushed in to help him. They managed to separate the boys a moment later. “Enough,” Jim scolded once more as Jim held onto Bruce and Lucius pulled Bane away. 

“Tell him to take it back!” Bruce demanded, wiping at his nose with his sleeve. 

Jim inhaled sharply we he noticed the trickle of blood from his nose and he grabbed a towel. He knelt down beside him, trying to take in the damage, “Bruce.” 

“I’m fine,” He insisted, pushing the towel away. “Tell him,” he looked desperately at Jim, wanting him to fix something he wasn’t sure he could.

“Bane?” Jim began, glancing over at him and making sure there were no obvious cuts or bruises. 

Bane crossed his arms, tilting his head up in defiance. 

Jim shared a look with Lucius and he nodded, “Bane you’ll come to the office with me and we’ll call your parents.” Bane visibly deflated and was ushered by the Principal to his office. 

“Mr. Gordon?” Robin began, his voice obviously still distressed and he stepped closer to Bruce, using the discarded towel to wipe away the blood, which Bruce allowed. “Santa does exist, right?”

“Of course,” Jim smiled, glancing around the room. “It’s free play time. Talia, you’re in charge. I’m going to take Bruce to see the nurse.”

Robin tugged on Bruce’s sleeve, “You okay?”

Bruce nodded, trying to reassure him. “I’m good.” He glanced over at the others. “Mind Talia. I’ll be back soon. Kay?”

“Kay,” he worried his lip and reluctantly nodded. 

“We’ll be right back,” Jim stated once more as he ushered Bruce down the hall and toward the nurses office. 

“Am I in trouble now?” Bruce asked a moment later, looking up at him. 

“That depends,” he began, watching Bruce closely. They stopped in front of the nurse’s office and he knelt down beside him. “Fighting isn’t the answer.” 

He sighed, sniffing slightly as he rubbed once more at his nose. “He said there was no Santa.” Jim nodded, “And did you see the look on Robin’s face? I just couldn’t let that go… it’s his first Christmas without his mother, he needs Santa this year.” 

Jim’s heart skipped at beat and he wanted to hug Bruce for trying to protect Robin as he did. “Your intention was good, but fighting isn’t always the answer.” 

“He swung first,” he grumbled as they walked in the office and the nurse attended to him. 

Jim leaned against the doorframe, watching them. “That may be, but you need to be the bigger man and stand down.” 

“But he’s bigger,” Bruce rolled his eyes. 

Jim couldn’t help but laugh at that, “That may be, but next time let the grownups handle it.” 

“But Santa is important,” he insisted, pulling away from the nurse to look at him. “Don’t you know what Santa is?” 

Jim raised a brow, curious as to what he thought Santa was. “Tell me.”

“He’s a symbol of love and the Christmas spirit and he brings out the best in every one, always.” He sighed, rubbing at his nose. “Anyone can put on the suit and be Santa, so he does exist as long as you believe in him… and Robin believes!” 

“Robin believes as does Selina and Jonathan.” He smiled as he glanced over at the nurse. “What’s the verdict?”

“A superficial nose bleed, he’ll have some bruising, but there’s nothing broken.” The nurse smiled, “He’s free to go back to class.” 

Jim patted him on the back and ushered him out into the hallway and back toward the classroom. “And who told you about Santa Claus?”

“Alfred,” he snorted. “I caught him in the act and I demanded he tell me the truth… he said I had impressive deductive techniques,” he paused sounding proud of his detective skills. “But that’s just between you and me, Santa’s real.” 

“Yes he is.” Jim smiled, he was proud of Bruce. “We should go back to class. Do you want me to call home?”

Bruce made a face, “Does that mean I’m in trouble?”

“No, you’re not.” He rubbed his arm. “You’re a good friend.”

A rare smile crossed over his face and he ducked his head. “Thanks.”

They returned back to the classroom and Bruce sat down beside Robin, bumping their shoulder together as if nothing had happened. Bane joined the classroom a moment later, sitting down between Barsad and Talia. Jim smiled when Talia took his hand and Barsad scooted a little closer. Everything was how it should be.

“Now where were we?” He began as the classroom erupted in voices and he smiled, launching into the lecture that he had planned earlier. And this time there were no interruptions. 

“Mr. Gordon?”

Well, almost.


End file.
